Letters to the Editor

The thrust of Crain's April 25 article "Marked markets" seemed to be that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has taken aim at Chicago's "old-line exchanges." That view is a throwback to the so-called good old days when the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade were dyed-in-the-wool open-outcry entities and were an easy mark for modern, technologically advanced competitors.

What Crain's may have missed is the transformation that has occurred in Chicago during the past, say, five years. Speaking only with respect to Chicago's futures markets, and particularly only with respect to the Merc, we are today that very modern, technologically advanced market. In some respects, the Merc is bigger than the NYSE, more efficient and with technology that is second to none. Over 70% of our market is electronically traded on the Merc's Globex platform. We were the first U.S. exchange to demutualize and go public. We have expanded our global marketshare in futures and options trading over the last four years at the expense of our European competitors. Indeed, we are, as our CEO Craig Donohue recently stated, the very model the NYSE is striving to become.

I was surprised when I read John Buck's article in support of increased taxes in order to ensure a "decent education" ("Business must back tax changes to boost education spending," Your View, April 11).

The taxpayers already provide a more than decent education, and I am old-fashioned enough to believe that students and their parents should work extra hours and make other sacrifices so that they can attend a private school if they are not satisfied with the public schools.

Mr. Buck's position may win him some new friends at City Hall, but in the meantime, I would like to see him adopt a school and donate some of his own money instead of asking for more of mine.

John JonesChicago

Misplaced advice

The opinion piece by Sean K. Murphy giving public relations advice to Pope Benedict XVI really tickled me ("Pope's challenge: Have courage, take the long worldview," Your View, May 2). Does he write for "The Daily Show"?

Next week, I hope he shows some ecumenism by advising the Dalai Lama to improve his "Q" score by dumping the saffron robes and suggesting the Archbishop of Canterbury go on "Oprah" or the chief rabbi ask forgiveness from the pig farms of America.

Bob Kellam Jr.Chicago

Letting legacy take hit

The recent Time magazine article naming Mayor Richard M. Daley as one of the best mayors in the country glossed over the underlying cancer that is slowing eating away at the fabric of Chicago.

Mayor Daley seems unwilling to attack underlying problems  a poor business environment with high taxes, massive bureaucracies, wide-spread cronyism and systematic corruption as witnessed by the hired truck scandal.

There can be no doubt that Mayor Daley has done a tremendous amount for Chicago. But unlike Rudy Giuliani, who implemented a thorough housecleaning in New York and installed a system of strict accountability, Mayor Daley's legacy will be forever haunted by his allowing corruption to fester and drive businesses and people out of Chicago. Clearly, they are voting with their feet.

John CamdenChicago

Get off the clock

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and House Speaker Brian Bosma need more meaningful projects to spend their time on ("Indiana set to adopt daylight-saving time," ChicagoBusiness.com, April 29).

Are they really serious about the rest of the world looking down on Indiana due to the fact that it was not adopting daylight-saving time?

Get with it guys. Move on to meaningful topics.

Herb BaileyWarsaw, Ind.

Allstate rivals ready to pounce

After reading Crain's article about Edward Liddy and Allstate Corp., I think you should know what the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the AARP think of Mr. Liddy's action to cut loose 6,500 employee agents ("The reappraisal of Edward Liddy," May 2).

They have sent their attorneys to help the dismissed agents fight Allstate for lost benefits. This could be the largest age-discrimination lawsuit ever. Check www.allstatecase.com for details.

Mr. Liddy may be at the top of the food chain now, but Progressive and Geico have Allstate in their sights. These companies may eat Mr. Liddy's lunch if he continues his management style. These companies are perfecting and fine-tuning their business models while Allstate moves too slowly, alienates its salesforce and loses marketshare.

John HlohinecFormer Allstate agentSarasota, Fla.

True appeal

Good move, Crain's, on taking out casinos from your ranking of the area's largest tourist attractions (Crain's list, May 2).

I always thought that it was misleading (and somewhat depressing) to see that more people visited dingy riverboat casinos than some of our great cultural experiences like the Art Institute, the Museum of Science and Industry and the Air and Water Show.

By separating the 2005 list into categories of appeal, you have more accurately highlighted the true attractions of our great city.

Josh D. LevyChicago

Stump for E85 gas

Recently, I drove a 2002 Ford Taurus up to a special gas station pump marked "E85." As I filled my tank (for $1.99 per gallon, a full 30 cents less than regular gas), I joined millions of drivers who have discovered E85, a new blend of fuel made with corn-based ethanol, which is cleaner, cheaper and produced here in Illinois.

As summer nears and vacationing Illinois families take to the road, smart drivers should check to see if their car can use E85 and then obtain a list of gas stations making E85 available.

E85 may only be used in "flexible fuel vehicles" which are regular cars, trucks or SUVs with engines that may use either E85 or regular gas. There are now 4 million flexible fuel vehicles in the U.S. In Illinois, 31 gas stations offer E85, a number expected to double this year.

Using E85 supports Illinois corn growers and creates jobs in the manufacture, blending and shipment of this fuel. Cleaner than regular gas, E85 produces fewer harmful emissions and gives us healthier air. E85 is a sensible option. That's why the city of Aurora now uses E85 in 50 of its vehicles, and 13% of the vehicles in the state of Illinois government fleet use E85.

Let's build this natural market for Illinois corn. Tell your local gas station owner to add an E85 pump. And urge your state lawmakers to support legislation designed to foster use of E85.

Will someone please remind the labor unions at United Airlines of the Eastern Airlines story? If things continue as they are, United will be an airline of the past in a few short months  the same fate that befell Eastern when the unions attempted the same tactics ("UAL flight attendants threaten chaos," ChicagoBusiness.com, April 29).

We are going to lose an economic mainstay because a few feel they are being wronged. Better they should take 80% of the pie than no pie at all.

Roy LuceHawthorn Woods

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